Tag Archive Motor Neurone Disease

As June is Motor Neurone Disease month, or MND for short, we are taking the opportunity to explain more about this horrendous disease and what we can all do to help.

Living with MND

For those who don’t know, MND is a progressive neurological condition that attacks the nerves in the brain and spinal cord. This means that messages gradually stop reaching the muscles, which can affect how you walk, talk, eat, drink and breathe. MND is typically fatal in just 2-5 years and there is currently no cure. There is also no known cause for the disease, with it attacking both old and young, as well as generally healthy people.

Apparently, this deadly and life changing disease affects 1 in 400 people!

A Well Known Case

The most popular case of MND is Professor Stephen Hawking, who was diagnosed at 21 with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a type of motor neurone disease. He was given two years to live, but lived until the age of 55, 32 years longer than expected.

‘I have lived most of my life in the expectation of an early death, so time has always been precious to me,’ Hawking said in 2006, but did not pass away until 2018.

Surviving with this deadly disease for so much longer than expected is is testament to how he defied the odds, and helped define our understanding of the universe.

How can we help?

This MND Awareness Month, the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA) wants to reach as many people as possible. Get the message out there by sharing a selfie of your eyes, using the hashtag #MyEyesSay. The MNDA are sharing stories of real people whose lives have been shattered by motor neurone disease. See the world through their eyes by taking the MND quiz – but, you can only answer using your eyes.